Cuan Dara is the HSE’s inpatient detoxification unit for the Dublin area, providing consultant-led medical stabilisation and detox. After around thirty years at Cherry Orchard Hospital, the service moved into a new purpose-built facility in Palmerstown.
What we can confirm about Cuan Dara
The following is based on the HSE’s own December 2025 announcement about the unit’s new facility.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Service type | Inpatient (residential) detoxification and stabilisation |
| Run by | Health Service Executive (HSE) |
| Current location | Palmerstown, Dublin 20 — relocated from Ballyfermot |
| Clinical model | Consultant-led, six-week structured pathway |
| Capacity | Replaced a 12-bed unit; expanding to 30 beds by end of 2026 |
| Direct phone | Not published here — no current number could be verified |
| Access route | Via referral — start with the HSE helpline or your GP |
Why we are not listing a phone number
This matters enough to explain plainly. The HSE retired the section of its website that used to carry individual service pages, and the third-party directory that previously listed Cuan Dara still shows the old Ballyfermot address — for a unit that has already moved.
Several numbers for the new facility circulate online, but we could not trace any of them back to a source that actually publishes them. Printing a phone number we cannot stand behind would be worse than printing none: a wrong number costs someone a phone call at the exact moment they have found the courage to make one. The helpline above is staffed, verified, and can route you to the right service.
What inpatient detox involves
Detox is the medically supervised process of clearing a substance from your body while symptoms are managed safely. It is a first step, not a whole treatment — the structured programme and aftercare that follow are what support lasting recovery.
- Medical supervision. Withdrawal from alcohol and benzodiazepines can be genuinely dangerous without it, which is why detox from these substances should never be attempted alone.
- Stabilisation. Bringing physical and mental health to a steadier baseline before the next stage.
- A structured pathway. Cuan Dara operates a six-week consultant-led programme.
- Onward support. Detox usually leads into rehabilitation, counselling or aftercare.
Other options while you wait
Inpatient detox places are limited and usually involve a referral and a wait. In the meantime, community and outpatient services can begin support straight away.
- St Francis Farm in Tullow, Co. Carlow runs a medically supervised residential detox unit and a separate residential rehabilitation programme.
- Cuan Mhuire in Athy, Co. Kildare offers residential treatment with medically supervised detox.
- Browse all Dublin South addiction services or every rehab centre in Ireland in our directory.
If you are unsure whether detox is what you need, our explainer on inpatient rehab treatment and who it helps sets out how detox, residential rehab and outpatient care fit together.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cuan Dara still in Ballyfermot?
No. The unit moved out of Cherry Orchard Hospital in Ballyfermot to a new purpose-built facility in Palmerstown, Dublin 20. Listings showing the Ballyfermot address are out of date.
What is Cuan Dara’s phone number?
We could not verify a current direct number from an official source, so we do not publish one. Call the HSE Drugs and Alcohol Helpline on 1800 459 459 (Monday to Friday, 9.30am–5.30pm) or speak to your GP to be referred.
How do I get a place at Cuan Dara?
Access is by referral rather than by walking in. The usual routes are through your GP, a community addiction service, or the HSE Drugs and Alcohol Helpline.
How long is the programme?
The HSE describes a consultant-led, six-week structured pathway at the new facility.
Where is Cuan Dara?
Palmerstown, Dublin 20.
Relocated from Cherry Orchard Hospital, Ballyfermot.
No direct number could be verified — call the HSE helpline on 1800 459 459.
Sources and last checked: Relocation, clinical model and bed capacity confirmed from the HSE’s announcement, “Cuan Dara celebrates thirty years with enhanced inpatient facility” (HSE, December 2025). Helpline details from the HSE Drugs and Alcohol Helpline. Listing last checked July 2026.
